Union and league in battle for third, says O’Neill
By AAP, 16 Jun 2008 AAP is a Roar Pro
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Australian rugby supremo John O’Neill believes the 15-man game and its cousin rugby league are locked in a battle to survive as the nation’s third football code alongside AFL and soccer.
O’Neill returned to the helm of the ARU last year only to declare the sport was in dire straits, while league has been dealing with the threats posed by diminishing leagues club support and player defections to union and overseas.
“I’m not talking about reunification of the two games but in this battle for hearts and minds there is a risk that one of us may slip off the list,” O’Neill told the ABC today.
“I don’t intend for it to be rugby union, I’m not intending for it to be rugby league but I think we know there is a gorilla in the room called AFL and we know, I know, that football (soccer) is the big mover and shaker.
“Therefore I think rugby league and rugby union are going to have to fight very hard to maintain our positions, particularly in the eastern states.”
O’Neill knows soccer’s position from first-hand experience, having previously headed Football Federation Australia.
He also revealed in his biography last year that he once sat down with the late media mogul Kerry Packer to design a hybrid “rugby” game.
“I think there is a risk that one of the football codes may not survive in the form that it currently enjoys,” he said today.
“I mean competition is about survival. Rugby league and rugby union actually are the two games that are very similar.”
O’Neill has been a supporter of an expanded Super 14 rugby union competition but he is also mindful of protecting the 15-man game’s patch.
“Australia is a very big continent and if you look at the history and traditions of our games we are probably at a stage where we need to protect our backyard as much as we talk about expansion,” he said.
Union suffered a setback when the incoming Rudd federal government canned a $25 million development of an elite academy at Ballymore in Brisbane, but O’Neill said that had not been an indication of his game slipping down the pecking order.
“I don’t think it’s the Government’s job to pick winners, I think it’s the Government’s job to treat all sports fairly and equally, again it will come in cycles,” he said.
“We’re looking at ways of resurrecting that project, the project at Ballymore stands on its own merits.”
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Mark H said | June 16th 2008 @ 12:34pm | Report comment
There is no doubt for mine that Australia is the most difficult country in the world for sports. No matter what code.
Mr Rudd showed his cards when he dug in for soccer. Saying he’ll do all he can for the SWC to come here in 2019 I think it was. I think it will go along way, but soccer needs the results. Anything less than a win and they will end up being treated like Union.
League has some serious issues as does Union but, when it comes down to it, an international code will always dominate. People want to see hard fought battles. Aust v Ireland was that. Aust v NZ in league…almost killed international league. There is no comp world wide. I will be waiting to see how this RL WC pans out at the end of the year.
AFL, is hurting as well dont worry about that, the Kangaroos, Demons, St Kilda and Hawthorn are on the ropes financially. There just isnt the money around anymore. Thats my 20c.
Redb said | June 16th 2008 @ 1:21pm | Report comment
Mark H,
No doubt the AFL has a worry with the Melbourne Demons, $4.5m in debt, poor ave crowds – they are currently the only club in real trouble and comparable to 3-4 NRL Sydney clubs. Next in line would be North Melbourne (off the ropes at the moment) and Western Bulldogs who are looking good for now, but need to carefully manage their finances. Hawthorn are slaying the beast financially no problem at all, and as far as I know St Kilda are Ok.
In context: AFL offers $100M to relocate, NRL offers $8M to relocate. The AFL is hurting slightly, my read is that Sydney NRL clubs are in deep trouble, where as QLD NRL clubs are flying. So the NRL comp is not under threat, its the troublesome Sydney clubs, but not the game of rugby league in Sydney as RL SOO TV ratings prove it is still by far the most popular code in Sydney.
The long term advantage of the AFL is that its heartland remains as strong as ever (Cartlon v Collingwood in front of 80,000 yesterday) and the AFL has the money to re-distribute to help clubs through problems. There has always been 1-2 clubs struggling financially for the past 30 years. That doesn’t mean that 1-2 clubs won’t merge, relocate or disappear in coming years. To date the AFL has managed to retain core supporters through painful relocations.
It terms of respective hurt, the AFL has a broken hand, the NRL has a broken leg, the ARU is in a wheelchair, FFA is still looking to build their comp to AFL/NRL financial levels, they can afford health insurance with a government rebate but have no clear injuries to date as a juvenile yet to play in the big league. Soccer’s international footprint remains its strongest advantage domesticially and it is an enduring one.
The big advantage the AFL has over the NRL and ARU is they do not share a heartland. NRL, ARU and even FFA are all based in Sydney – this battle is being fought in Sydney.
Redb
Midfielder said | June 16th 2008 @ 1:33pm | Report comment
Interesting that JOH has rated football above RL, when at this stage I would still have tho that RL was a very strong number two code and in TV ratings many on this site claim RL outrates AFL on a all Australia count.
Maybe RU is in more trouble than it appears, as from where I sit RU has a good contract with fox for the S14.
Its major concern is at local park level, and a general lack of sports management skills at club (Gordon / Eastwood etc) and state management like NSWRU.